


A Glimpse of What Can Be

by Cherie_Berrie



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: AI and Human Relationships, Ancient Technology, Future Fic, GAIA rebuild, Gen, New Places, Older Characters, subordinates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21749032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherie_Berrie/pseuds/Cherie_Berrie
Summary: 7 years after The Great Battle, Aloy is doing better than ever with GAIA at her side. A lot of things have changed in their little world, but something are still the same.
Relationships: Aloy & GAIA (Horizon: Zero Dawn), Aloy/Varl if you squint
Comments: 7
Kudos: 41
Collections: HZD Secret Santa 2019





	A Glimpse of What Can Be

**Author's Note:**

  * For [penhaligon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/penhaligon/gifts).



> This is a fic for the Horizon: Zero Dawn Secret Santa 2019 collection. It super got away from me, but I'm rather happy with it. It was nice to not write a romantic relationship for once.

It had been 7 years 4 months 11 days 2 hours and 46 minutes since the successful purge of HADES. So many things had changed so quickly that Aloy could hardly believe the time that had passed. The majority of that time had been spent in the new GAIA facility, built from the bones of Zero Dawn itself. It was most often referred to as New Dawn by locals, and the sentiment was not lost on Aloy. The new building went above ground and north of the Sunfall Citadel, punching through the canyon wall that once protected the Shadow Carja. An immense, contemporary limestone building, shining in the northern desert like a beacon of hope. Not far from the truth at all.

Sunfall was a thing of the past. The Carja in Shadow had all either been wiped from the face of the earth or surrendered and integrated into the Sundom under Sun King Avad. It wasn’t even called Sunfall anymore, the name bringing up so many bad memories for citizens and soldiers alike. Avad and his new tribal diplomats had tried to agree on a name for the new city; wanting to make a place like Meridian, open to anyone to forge a new life. It took years of discussion before Aloy sent a letter and a small package to Avad with a single word, ‘Rawaki’. She had her own reasons for the name, all of them far beyond anyone’s understanding, but it was accepted immediately. When he opened the package that was attached, it held Focuses, each with a name tag written in Carja Glyphs.  _ Avad, Vanasha, Erend, Teb, Varl, Aratak. _ They were the people she trusted with the upgraded technology, hoping beyond hope that Varl had grown wise enough to start believing that the world of the Old Ones was far from tainted. It was a perfect balance. The Sun King, The Minister of Rawaki, The Oseram Captain of the Vanguard, the Nora Diplomat and Envoy, and the only Banuk who strived to understand; all on her personal encrypted network. 

As the Yellow and Orange flags and banners flew over Rawaki, New Dawn had flags and banners of every color, acknowledging the lack of tribal alignment yet representing every single tribe at the same time. 

The door to New Dawn was very much like the door in ELEUTHIA Cradle-9, though much less intimidating with blue and green lights. Aloy and GAIA had agreed that, though HADES was purged and contained, nothing of their work should remind anyone of HADES and the Looming Shadow battle. When Sylens had tried another attack with HADES at his side, it was too late. Aloy knew enough to stop him with the help of everyone, including a fragmented GAIA. His death made her feel finally free. No one to watch her, no one to stop her. 

Unlike ELEUTHIA however, Aloy had programmed and approved her group to enter the facility via identi-scan. All they had to do was prick their finger and allow GAIA to examine the blood sample to copy the DNA code over. She added a personal greeting for each member as she pleased, using this opportunity to test her social skills. Every entry and exit was logged for security reasons, along with recording visual and sound at the entrance and key points around the whole facility. The Carja of Rawaki, minus Vanasha, showed no interest in New Dawn, focusing mainly on their own politics, growing population, and trading routes. They felt New Dawn was something holy, something that was bright like the sun itself, and should be left to Aloy and those few who were allowed. It was comical in the most ironic way.

Aloy sat at her desk with the mainframe’s code in front of her. There were several more screens around the central control room, including 9 that were each dedicated to a subordinate. Even if HADES was dormant, she wanted eyes on his code visible at all times. She sat back and idly sipped at her tea that had grown cold from negligence. Even so, it was calming, letting a small smile form at the corners of her lips. 

7 years had changed her. She had grown more and more distant from her Nora appearance and looked more like an Old One than anything. She had a sapphire blue tunic top, similar in style to that of Elisabet’s and the color reminded her of calm machines and her spear’s override. Black cotton leggings, as opposed to leather, and black boots that closely resembled what soldiers wore in Enduring Victory finished her simple, yet otherworldly look. Her hair was unique as ever, just in a thick 5 strand braid that went down to the small of her back. She still had Rost’s bone pendant, but that was her only accessory. A custom turquoise colored and upgraded focus hardly counted, essential as it was, but it was large enough to cover her entire ear, hooking over the top weightlessly and lit up with an LED turquoise circle rather than the cobalt stripe her old model had. Vanasha had called it a ‘new age crown’, Erend a ‘delver’s dream’. 

After all the years of pulling strands of code from GAIA prime and the GAIA prototype at Zero Dawn, reclaiming all subordinates, encrypting their codes through the Omega Protocol, and building New Dawn - of which rivaled the original FAS building - she was finally proficient in coding. GAIA had been  _ fully _ functional and at her side as of 3 months ago, even though Sylens’ attack was 3  _ years _ ago. 

The modern amenities at New Dawn were a plus. Food that was both old and new from the portable and built in fabricators, high end bedding chambers for peak REM, plumbing and heating/cooling that the Alphas enjoyed their whole lives, not to mention the physical center where she could keep up her physique and her bow skills sharp. The solar panels on the roof and sides of the building, plus the small food and herb garden on multiple balconies that used recycled groundwater made the facility entirely self sufficient. Aloy wasn’t currently recreating arc reactors, but when she could spare a moment, she would check that off her list.

“Aloy, you seem troubled.” GAIA appeared next to her in her classic flowing purple dress, facing out the large windows towards Rawaki as Aloy was. “You remind me so much of Elisabet, though less frantic.” A smile crossed her holo and Aloy matched her mood.

“Yeah well, I’m not on a death clock.” She finished her tea and set the cup to the side. “I’m not troubled either, I just have a lot running through my mind.”

“That is the one place I am not allowed. Would you like to share?” GAIA turned and came closer, sitting on the free desk space to her right. Aloy looked up to her and considered how to phrase it.

“There are certain times of the year when people get sick, usually autumn into early winter.” Aloy paused, letting it hang in the air. GAIA said nothing, so Aloy continued. “ELEUTHIA didn’t fail, but the current human genome is still susceptible to small ailments like colds, flus, and allergies. We’re not nearly as degenerated as some were when you were made, and Far Zenith did us a favor in enhancing the genome. But these small illnesses can be hard, especially on kids in colder climates.”

“I see.” GAIA said calmly, not moving from her spot but resting her hands in her lap. “And I suppose you have some ideas to help the people of this new earth.” It was a statement not a question.

Aloy nodded and turned her chair towards GAIA. 

“I’ve been looking through ELEUTHIA’s cryo-logs. I’m sure you’ve seen the spike of the UI.” She paused and pressed her lips together. “ELEUTHIA-9 isn’t exactly empty. It can’t make anymore zygotes, but there are millions of embryonic stem cells left over from the amniotic fluid and preserved umbilical cords. Between the bioengineering data in ELEUTHIA and the bits of APOLLO we’ve decrypted from your prototype using the Omega Clearance… I think we can repurpose ELEUTHIA into a pharmaceutical lab to produce all kinds of medicine using the stem cells and the organic plants DEMETER has given us over the past 4 years. We needed this years ago, but better late than never.” Aloy added with a shrug. She’d had time to think. A lot of time. 

“That is an  _ extremely _ new idea from you. Medical advancements using all organics, no synthetics. It is only achievable because of the improvement to the human genome. Far Zenith has given us much to work with. It is a shame we can’t thank them.” GAIA said with a soft smile, pausing to let the serious moment pass. “Aloy, are you sure you aren’t hiding a complete version of APOLLO from me?” She had the nerve to quirk a holo eyebrow at her.

“Wow. I slave day and night for years of my poor, short human life to bring you back and here you are, giving me sass.” Aloy laughed a bit and stood, walking over to the ELEUTHIA screen with it’s insignia, a hexagon with a small baby on the bottom. GAIA followed her and Aloy opened the mainframe.

“As for Zenith, you can say thank you for us in a few thousand years when they reach their destination. Maybe give them APOLLO as a gift when it’s complete. If they seem deserving that is.” She gave GAIA a smirk and scrolled through ELEUTHIA’s programming. GAIA gave a small laugh and watched her work. Aloy stood at the screen for almost 3 hours, lost in the intricacies and repetitiveness of writing a new program, even if it wasn’t from scratch. She sighed and swiveled her neck, hearing a few cracks.

“Take a look, let me know if I missed anything.” Aloy said and lowered her hands, cracking her fingers and rotating her wrists. It never took GAIA long to look over things, being the most advanced computer on the planet, comparable to the human brain even.

“I see no flaws. Mission statement is clear, and ethical laws contained. There would be some trial and error which can all be simulated inside ELEUTHIA before release of the final product, but overall the program would work as is.” GAIA almost sounded impressed. Almost.

Aloy nodded and condensed the program. “Copying and sending to HEPHESTUS and DEMETER to coordinate localized germination and delivery of materials via shell-walkers.” She said, her hands flying over the controls and tossing data files to the intended screens. “Beta Medical Program is only being sent to Cradle 9. One location should give us a better chance to shut it down if it goes wrong.” Aloy let out a breath as all three subordinates started working immediately and in tandem.

Suddenly a soft beeping came to her ear and she saw in front of her who was trying to contact her. _Connection Incoming -_ _AVAD_. She smiled and turned towards the mirrored platform of her office, made especially for holo calls, clicking her Focus once as she skipped up the steps. All of her friends could always see her, but she could not see them, only through their eyes. It was fine, at least she could be with them when they were connected.

“Hello Avad.” She smirked and waited. She knew this was going to be hilarious. If he was calling now, that had ment the den from ARTEMIS worked even faster than planned. She was giddy from the idea of progress but kept her attention on Avad.

“Aloy, what in the name of the Sun have you sent me?” He sounded almost panicked. He turned and she saw the band of horses at the gates of Meridian, not even allowed to cross the bridge. “What are these things? They’re immense!”

“Avad, calm down.” She was trying so hard not to laugh but he was making it worth cracking. “Consider that another present from Charles Ronson.”

“The Animal Alpha.”

She nodded.

“And just what do you want me to do with these things? The Vanguard almost killed them like they were rouge striders. The only thing that stopped them were the cloaks with the large symbols I associate with you.”

Aloy laughed then, imagining Erend trying to fight such a gentle animal and it running instead of fighting back.

“The Vanguard is sharp as ever! Wanna revisit the _Learning_ _Center_ idea I suggested last year?” 

“Aloy.” He was short with her and she smiled, crossing her arms.

“They’re horses. They eat grasses, some vegetables and fruits. The Old One’s used them for transportation, hauling equipment, or tilling fields. They can also be companions, like the different dogs and cats I’ve sent before them, or you can just ride them for fun.”

“Interesting.” He said after pausing and murmuring to his men to stand down. She watched through his Focus as he examined them, impressed that they didn’t run away but stayed in their formation, tails swishing and heads bobbing about, but otherwise serene. He wanted to touch them, she could tell, but he was so lost.

“Hold out your hand and come close. Let the leader close the gap.”

He followed her instructions slowly and before he knew it, Avad was petting the animal’s head. It leaned back and whinnied which gave him a small startle, Aloy laughing in his ear. It came right back to him though, Avad venturing to run his fingers through its mane, his eyes wide like a child’s. 

“They need to be taken care of and bred. They need a lot of room to run and live so the Maizelands would be the best place. A size of land about the size of the estate near the Spire. Probably a bit bigger for 10 of them.” He nodded, taking in the information. “Horses are faster than any strider you’ve ever seen, but are all muscle, I promise. I sent 10, 3 females and 7 males. Can you confirm that for me?” She paused for a moment and added something with a small laugh. “It will be obvious, like the larger dog breeds.”

Avad cleared his throat and she laughed again, watching him count and lean down. The guards at the bridge probably thought he had lost his mind. After a few moments he nodded.

“So it is.” He laughed himself a bit. “3 females and 7 males accounted for. Give Charles Ronson my gratitude. Or rather, GAIA.”

“Already done. I’m sending you the care information right now.” She smiled and clicked her focus, picking the right file to send him, simply labeled ‘Horse Care’.

Avad turned to lean against the bridge, watching a couple guards take the herd where they needed to be and to appoint a caretaker. 

“You could have warned me.”

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” She retorted in a teasing tone.

“You are such a rebellious woman. I feel bad for what Rost had to tame out of you for this much wild to still be present.” She laughed with him, making her cheeks hurt. 

“How is everyone?” She smiled softly, feeling sentimental.

“Pleasantly normal. The usual badger of Marad wanting on the network is relentless, but otherwise everything is going smoothly.”

“Yeah, I saw that coming but, unfortunately, he doesn’t really need one. These are upgraded to biometric entry, so he can’t borrow yours either. He’s already a spymaster-”

“So is Vanasha.”

“Marad is not in charge of a new city that used to house the Sundom’s splinter cult.”

“Fair point.” He nodded.

“Itamen?” She asked, moving on quickly,

“A young royal teenager, must I say more?” He lamented through a smile.

“I was technically a teen when we purged HADES.” She offered.

“True, but the difference between what you two were like at 14 is … indescribable.”

She shrugged and shifted her weight and hip.

“I chased machines, he chases boys and girls. Either way you need to know when to strike.”

He laughed through his nose, very fond of his little brother. “At this rate he’ll find a right hand before I will.”

“Well then you’ll be out of a job. You’ll get to leave that throne and explore. I know you want to.” She interjected, knowing he was going to deny it. “I can tell by the way you pour over my most mundane reports. In my opinion, you’ve been in the Sun too long Avad.” She smiled and he nodded, watching her through his focus. 

“Meanwhile, there you are, yet so far from Meridian. How long have you been in that place? A few years?”

“That’s different.” She said softly and narrowed her eyes at him. He just smiled softly in return.

“We both have shadows to step out of. I know Meridian has grown faster than anyone could ever imagine after HADES, but this is incredible. So many people from different tribes live here. The notion of a Sun God as king is becoming… silly.” He smiled. “A ruler is still needed, but I feel the change of perspective would be better with a change of hands for the crown. Itamen is well suited for it. He’s bright and kind, but most of all, he’s practical. Well, as practical as a 14 year old with freedom he didn’t know as a child can be.”

“I don’t have anyone to take my place,” she said softly as a second beep came into her ear. Another call was trying to come through.  _ Connection Incoming - VARL. _ “I know GAIA can take care of herself,” she looked back and GAIA came to her side, reflecting in the mirror with a calm yet all-knowing smile. “I just worry.” She sighed and let Varl’s attempt to fall away.

“Which you know you is unnecessary.” GAIA said, looking down to Aloy, placing a holo hand on her shoulder. Aloy sighed and looked back to Avad.

“Either way, you need to visit New Dawn soon. A recorded tour isn’t the same. These halls and the way the building operates… it’s straight out of a file I found from just before Zero Day. It’s beautiful in a simple way.” She jabbed, having always complained about how lavish the palace was.

“I’m sure it’s lovely, Aloy. I’ll come when I can. As it is, it seems this was my free time for the day,” he said in a low but soft voice, his eyes focusing on something beyond her holo. “I will call for you again soon. I might even learn something new, who knows?” He smiled and it was infectious.

“I’ll talk to you soon. Take care Avad.” She smiled one last time before ending the call. 

“Horses?” GAIA asked.

She simply shrugged, clicking her focus to go through her contacts. “I figured with the growing population, the need for larger crops and faster trade is imminent.”

“You have a knack for caring for others. Solving problems for others before it even exists. I do see Elisabet in you, yet the parts of you that are Aloy catch me off guard constantly.” GAIA smiled towards her but it was off.

“You miss her,” Aloy said softly. 

“Unfathomably.” She looked down and away from Aloy, lost in her own evolving thought. 

“I appreciate that you know I’m not her and that you treat me as my own person. It gives me some kind of solace, to know that essentially my mother sees me as a free agent.”

“Mother?” 

Aloy nodded. “For a while I only saw you as this incredible computer that saved the world.” She scrolled through her contacts and left Varl’s information in front of her. “Then I thought of Elisabet as my mother, considering she is literally part of me, and you as simply my creator.” She pressed on his name to connect. “But in reality, you are both my mothers. Except I can talk to you here and now.”

GAIA nodded. “Logical and quite accurate. Mother seems much more favorable a label over creator, considering your personality and my own developing hierarchy of social skills and constructs.

Aloy smiled to her just before Varl clicked his focus.

“Aloy! The mountain in making the most awful noise. Please,  _ please _ tell me it was you.” 

She smiled and nodded. “Yes Varl, I have started a very complicated program that will help not just the Nora, but everyone.”

“What?” He asked, ever curious about her work, though understanding just the barest of the reality that surrounded him.

“Cures. More potent medicines and preventative medicine for the seasonal fever.”

He was silent for a moment. “Is… is that even possible? You’re all the way in the desert! How…?”

“The how is too long, what’s important is for you to link Teb in.”

He nodded and messed with his own focus, Teb’s contact coming before him and connecting almost instantly.

“Hey Varl. Oh, and hello Aloy. Nice to see you.” She smiled, knowing they could both see her, and put a hand on her hip. “I know this is unexpected but I’m working on something extremely important.”

Teb let out a laugh. “What else is new?”

She smiled and heard Varl let out a laugh himself. His personality had loosened up since the battle at the Spire, going so far as to actually use the Focus she had given him and not for just calls. 

“I need you to inform the braves to let the gates open. All of them. Shell walkers will be coming through to enter the cradle, the inner mountain. They have materials that are essential to my work. None of them will be accompanied by watchers, they don’t even have shields or shock strobes anymore. Harmless. So please spread the word and have the entire tribe prepare. Open the gates, don’t harm my carriers, and make sure the Matriarchs understand the gravity of the situation.” She reiterated, letting her tone slide into something snide. “It should be easy with Lansra gone.”

“It’s probably in bad taste, but not many miss her.” Varl said and Teb nodded. 

“The work you and GAIA have been accomplishing over the years has only benefited the tribe, even Jezza can’t argue that. You hold more of the world in your hands than they’ll ever know.” Teb added. He was more adept than Varl, so he meant what he said in the most literal sense.

She smiled and let her cheeks go a bit pink. “It’s my work to do.” She composed herself and sighed. “Teb, thank you. I know you have one of Teersa’s heartstrings that you can tug.”

He nodded and ended the call, leaving Varl and Aloy.

“I won’t lie, I miss you terribly.” Varl said with a sheepish smile. “The Sacred Lands are so easy for you to access with that new thing you ride in.”

“My Mark 25?”

“Yeah, that thing. It’s incredible, but also terrifying to see you enter and exit that thing, let alone use it. But with it, we’re not so far.”

She laughed and thought of her one-person aerial craft. It had its origins dating back to 2021, older than GAIA. The original name had been ridiculous; ‘The Puffin’. Mark 25 sounded so much better. 

“I know it’s hard to understand, but the power cells that it runs off of are hard to upgrade and need a lot of charging. Right now, I can’t make it to Mother’s Heart and back in one trip. Not until I figure out a way to charge the power cells outside of New Dawn.”

“You’re Aloy. You’ll figure it out.” He was smiling, she could tell from his voice. 

“It’s not exactly high on my to do list.” She paused and crossed her arms, raising a brow she knew he could see. “And it’s a  _ long _ list.”

He laughed and the silence between them was comfortable. 

“Sona tried to make me War Chief.” He said softly.

“You turned it down? Why?” She was blown away. Aloy had been sure he wanted that more than anything.

“Because that would mean staying here instead of being the Envoy for Teb.”

A wicked grin came across Aloy’s face. “I knew you would like life outside those gates.”

“Ugh, Aloy don’t make me feel worse about this. I already feel guilty. There’s a part of my mind that still feels all of this is wrong, but… I’m learning.”

She smiled softer and nodded. “You are. Can’t leave you behind in the dust.”

He nodded, his focus shaking. “There’s so much to learn…”

“And you can go at your own pace. It’s not like the Proving. You have nothing to prove.”

“I do though! I need you to know that you can trust me with details of whatever part of the world you and All-mo-, sorry, you and GAIA are bringing back to life. I want to be able to help in some way.”

She held out her hand. “You’re doing what you can.”

Varl’s hand went out to meet her holo’s. “I know.”

She held her hand out for a moment longer and dropped it to her side, watching him do the same. He was quiet for a few moments before a look came across his face.

“Can I ask something?”

“Sure.”

“What in the world are you  _ wearing _ ?”

It was an innocent question that left Aloy in tears from laughing so hard.

“I’ll talk to you soon Varl.”

“Goodbye Aloy. May GAIA watch over you.” He ended the call and she laughed again, looking to GAIA, who had a look as if she had caught her doing something embarrassing. 

“What?” She asked between chuckles.

“Varl seems like a nice young man.”

The implication hung in the air. And Aloy sobered up a bit.

“I know a lot of nice men, GAIA. And women.” She gave her a side glance and GAIA nodded with a smile, watching Aloy walk off the platform and towards the DEMETER screen. She entered the UI to see what plants DEMETER had picked to germinate, and where they would be grown.

“Then do something about it.” GAIA said softly at her back.

“Maybe in a few years. I’m 26, I have plenty of time. I’m not on a death clock, remember?”

GAIA was silent longer than usual. Aloy assumed the conversation was over, ready to dive into details.

“You’re right, Aloy. I am your mother. And you are most certainly my stubborn daughter.”

Aloy smiled but other than that didn’t react, drowning herself in codes. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments even after the holidays of 2019 because it won't be public until 2020!


End file.
